I'm not sure when I first started seeing this but it wasn't too long ago. But I realized tonight you can just add /related to the end of any product URL, immediately after the PID, to get the More Like This page for it. Super convenient because unlike the "other products you might like scroll" under a product, the MLT page shows ONLY the same product type. So you can easily check out your competition for comparing tags and pricing, or just general curiosity of what else similar is out there, without having to muddle through search. And you can of course add it to other people's URLs, to see if your similar product comes up on that MLT page.
I tried it on a bunch of products tonight and mostly did get related designs, with some outliers that could probably be explained by odd tags. So you could use this in affiliating for referrals, too. If you want to direct people to one product type in a specific theme, this is an easy way to do. I like to link-out from my website home page to whatever is the main sale cat on Z, but I don't like linking out to the general landing page which is usually just one photo collage after the other, would rather direct people to things more in line with my style, and this is an easy way to do that. Now I can just pick a product, doesn't even have to be mine, and use the /related. If you look at my home page and click on the "40% off throw blankets" image, you'll see what I mean.
I obviously had no idea this is something everyone hasn't been seeing. That's too bad as I really like this feature. I mean yeah Designers might see it as just another way to detract from one's own product getting viewed, but Z's gott'a build the site for shoppers in ways that will drive sales no matter which designers are getting the them. And this is great for that I think. I love that it shows only the same product type. If you're searching, you have to drill down the Category tree which still includes other product types because that cat is set by designers when publishing. On some searches, I've been seeing a new-ish filter next to the cat one, for Product Type, and that one does narrow it down by actual product type as set by Zazzle. But that's a lot of hoop-jumping for shoppers. The MLT is super easy and as I said, pretty good at showing relevant/similar designs. That's great for shoppers, and for designers, too, in the ways I mentioned in OP. Just one little voice here but if Z's listening, I cast my vote for keeping this feature. 👍
Anyways, interesting that you wee seeing more than just lighters on your lighter. Here's a link to one of my lighters, and the MLT are all lighters.
tree_of_life_v2_colorful_rainbow_tie_dye_zippo_lighter-256193231912361270/related
I purposely tried a couple of my products with uncommon tags, like this doormat, an still got good results of same product type. I wonder if you're lighter tags are so niched-down that you're in a "league of one" to quote @LMGildersleeve and thus it couldn't find any other similar lighters.
Well, that's a major bummer.
It shows that not only is it strictly lighters, it's lighters with trees and most are colorful.
Yeah, that's why I am liking this feature so much, it's doing a really good job with the 'more like this' part. 😁
Also, tech note for Zazzle:
When doing this on my phone (clicking the "more like this" option from the MP), I get four products and a big blue More button that does not work so can't see more than those first four products.
* Samsung Galaxy model running latest version of Android, viewing mobile site version via Firefox
Screenshot in first post. It's on all products in the MP, not just mine.
I can see where this could help with pinned products too. If shoppers saw similar products in a marketplace like aesthetic, I think there would be more sales for those who are not in the promoter program..
Exactly. Links out take people to the very similar styled "landing page"anyway, but in this case all the other products shown are actually similar and therefore of probable interest to the shopper. I really hope they keep this feature.
To clarify, because when I originally posted I had no idea this is only a test only some us are experiencing, on the left is what I get with my blanket link, on the right (thank you @Cat for the screenshot) is what others apparently in a different test group see.
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So outside the test group, the MLT items aren't like at all, just the items from the main cat page repeated, same as they are on the "landing page" that comes up when linking from social media and cluttered with the "flairs". Definitely not the results I want people to see. I'm glad I posted about this. Had no idea it wasn't a real feature. So much for using /related links. 😞
So for anyone who read only my first post and wondered why on earth I was going on about using this to easily compare tags etc .... this is why.
zazzle.com/atomic_tie_dye_psychedelic_rainbow_colors_fleece_blanket-256986291449270370/related
I searched for "I love yorkies" since it's the kind of thing I thought there'd probably be lots of designs for while not being the kind of thing I'd normally look at, and added /related to the first result that came up, a t-shirt. And go figure, I didn't notice until cropping the sceenshot, it's actually your product! So then I browsed your store for some other random type design I wouldn't have a history of looking at and chose a funny math notebook.
i_love_my_yorkie_cute_red_heart_dog_photo_t_shirt-235963235520505665/related funny_math_procrastination_theorem_equation_joke_notebook-256820558180029230/related
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Results are consistent. Always the same product type as the launch product, and similar/relevant designs despite not being things they'd think I'd want to see based on my history.
Very interesting - and funny that you randomly happened on one of my products! Here's what I get when I do those same searches:
Not related at all! That does lend credence to the idea that it's an A/B test. I hope so, because it would be a nice feature to have!
Well, no more "More Like This" showing on products for me and using a /related URL now just yields the same NOT-related products as you all were getting, which are mostly the same products as shown on the main cat pages. So for the fleece blanket as example, 51 of the 60 products on the first page - that's 85% - are variations of photo collages. 😞😞😞😞
Zazzle has so much more to offer than that and the More Like This feature was amazing for showing shoppers other similar designs they might actually be interested in. I really hope Zazzle is working on this as full site-wide feature to roll-out as I can't fathom why any of the decision-makers would have thought it a bad idea.
This feature is back today! I have it again in Firefox while signed in, and in 5 other browsers as an anon guest. I hope this means they've rolled it out as something permanent. Can anyone else confirm they are seeing it now?
